Take Profits in These 2 Companies Before Earnings

Disney and Groupon have climbed recently ahead of earnings. Now may be the right time to take the money and run.

NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Stocks that climb ahead of their earnings announcement often peak at earnings. These two companies are almost complete opposites -- except they both may decrease after reporting.

Walt Disney, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an entertainment company worldwide. The company's Media Networks segment includes broadcast television network, television production and distribution, television stations, broadcast radio networks, radio stations, and publishing and digital operations.

52-Week Range: $42.84 to $63.93

Price To Book: 2.8

Strong second-quarter earnings growth is expected by Wall Street after the market closes on Tuesday. The consensus estimate is 76 cents a share, a gain of 18 cents (23.7%) from 58 cents during the corresponding quarter last year. The lowest analyst estimate this report is 69 cents per share and the highest is 82 cents per share.

I believe the earnings figure will come in towards the high side, about 80 cents to 83 cents per share. I also believe that anything less than 80 cents is not likely to please Wall Street.

The majority of analysts believe Walt Disney continues to offer a buying opportunity, with 19 of the 29 analysts covering the company giving it a buy recommendation. As of the last update I have, none of the analysts are recommending selling.

New investors from a year ago are happy, and analysts rating this company a buy have called it correctly. Disney shares are 47% higher over the last 52 weeks. Analysts are calling for a price target of $62.50.

Disney surpassed the price target about a week ago, and the Mouse may be topping out. In my weekly options newsletter I wrote that Disney call options should be shorted. I like the company and as much as a parent can enjoy standing in line all day, I even enjoyed my family Florida trips to visit. However, the chart appears overbought based on technical analysis.

Trend followers are likely to point out that the trend is higher, and they are correct that the moving averages are clearly moving from the bottom left to the upper right of the charts. Most trend followers focus on the overall trend and not pivot points. I focus on pivot points.

While I don't know Disney will top out near the earnings release, I believe the odds favor it. If Disney doesn't move lower, and it doesn't have to for call option shorts to make money, I believe the upside is limited relative to the call option premium.

In the last month alone, shares increased over 8%. If there is one thing professionals know about stocks, it's that they don't move straight up forever. If you want to buy shares, consider waiting for a pullback to reduce your risk.

If you have exposure and you want to take some off the table, consider in-the-money calls as an exit method. Option premium is typically elevated before an earnings release and you may be able to exit for a little more than an outright sale.

This stock currently has an annualized dividend of 75 cents, yielding 1.17%. The yield is not enough to be a sole reason to buy, but it's a pleasant bonus.

At the time of writing and from the latest short interest report, the short interest is minor and not a cause of distraction. The small amount of short interest is 2.4%.